Lexington County Recreation & Aging Commission
After School & Summer Camp
Program Handbook
Batesburg-Leesville Leisure Center
Gilbert-Summit Multi-Purpose Facility
Lexington Leisure Center
Spires Recreation Center
Tri-City Leisure Center
Mission/History
Our mission is to improve the quality of life for all citizens through creative, meaningful life enriching experiences. This is done through the provisions of program services, facilities and education.
The Lexington County Recreation & Aging Commission was created by an act of the Legislature in 1968 as a Special Purpose District. The Commission as an active, functioning body with employees began operations in January 1970. The organization began with no facilities, no budget and have since developed the many facilities and various programs enjoyed by the citizens today. On July 1, 1980, Lexington County Council requested the Commission absorb into its operation an existing senior citizen program, then administered by Richland/Lexington Council on Aging.
Policies and Procedures
All program policies are in effect at all times when your child (ren) is participating in our After School and/or Summer Day Camp program.
Hours
The After School Program will be open from the close of school until 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Due to staff scheduling and bus routes, you must notify the Leisure Center by 1:30 p.m. if your child will be absent or need not be picked up. Failure to call will result in being charged for the day. Full day camp will be offered on teacher in-service days, Spring Break and Christmas Break if the minimum number of children is pre-registered. You will be notified at least 5 business days in advance should the camp be canceled.
The Summer Program will be open from 7:15 a.m. (B-L 6:30 a.m.) through 6:00 p.m. Your child must be there by 9:00 a.m. so that the activities and field trips can be conducted as scheduled. Your child cannot be dropped off before 7:15 a.m. (B-L 6:30 a.m.). If your child is not picked up by 6:00 p.m., a fee of $1.00/minute/child will be charged for every minute you are late. If your child (ren) arrives after his/her group has left for their field trip, they will either be placed with another group or be unable to attend that day should there be no one with the program at the facility.
Inclement Weather
If school is released early due to inclement weather, (snow, ice, threat of hurricane, tornado, etc...) it will be the responsibility of the parent/guardian to pick up their children from school. If the school districts close the day following such an event, Lexington County Recreation and Aging Commission will generally follow Lexington County Government Offices for openings and closings, but stay tuned to your local television and radio stations for variations.
Holidays
Labor Day (September 1, 2014), Thanksgiving Holiday’s (November 27 - 28, 2014), Christmas Holiday’s (December 24 - 26, 2014), New Year’s Day (January 1, 2015), Memorial Day (May 25, 2015), In-Service Training (June 5, 2014), and Independence Day (July 4, 2015) are the holidays that will be observed.
Registration
A registration fee is due upon enrollment in each program, Summer Day Camp and After School, and must be renewed yearly for each program. The non-refundable non-deductible registration fee is required to cover administrative costs and insurance.
Please notify the Program Director or Assistant Director of any medical problems or diagnosis which may affect your child (ren) behavior during program hours (ADD, ADHD, bipolar, divorce, etc.).
Special Needs Children
If you have a Special Needs child (ren), the following policies must be followed:
1. A Special Needs Application must be completed.
2. A meeting is called including but not limited to: Parent, Child, ASP/SDC Director, ASP/SDC Program Coordinator and Special Needs Consultant.
A. Decision will be made on group placement or accommodations if needed.
B. Decision will be made if a shadow is required. If a shadow is required, it is the parent’s responsibility to find a shadow and to contact DDSN for funding.
3. If there is an opening and the child is accepted into the program with or without a shadow, it will be on a two-week trial basis.
4. After the two-week trial period, another meeting will be called to address any problems or concerns. If problems persist, the situation will be reassessed to see if the child could benefit from a different group placement or if a shadow is needed.
5. The situation will be evaluated periodically and updated as needed.
Weekly/Daily Rates
The rates will vary according to which Leisure Center that your child (ren) attends. Prices will be different because each Leisure Center has different needs and demands. All payments for the After School Program and Summer Camp will be due no later than Monday for the previous week. A late payment penalty of $20.00 will be charged to all accounts on Wednesday and every Wednesday thereafter as long as the account is delinquent. The center may discontinue services if tuition is two weeks or more delinquent. You will be given two business days to pay your balance once you have been notified that we will not pick up your child (ren) from school. If you cannot pay the balance, we will notify the school that your child (ren) can no longer attend our program and to expect a call from you about other arrangements.
If we have to contact you more than once about your outstanding balance, your payments will have to be prepaid. Your prompt payment of the weekly fee is appreciated. All returned checks will be processed through the Lexington County Solicitors Office. Once a check has been returned, all future fees must be paid in cash. In the case of divorce or separation, please notify the Director or Assistant Director which parent is responsible for payment of fees and who should receive the tax information. Each child/family will have only one payment account.
Rules
1. Show respect to everyone while involved in program activities. Refrain from back talk and use of inappropriate language (verbal and nonverbal).
2. Keep hands and feet to yourself, do not intrude on other campers personal space.
3. Stay in your assigned area at all times unless you have a pass.
4. Use program furnishings and equipment in an appropriate manner.
5. Move between activity sites in an orderly and quiet manner.
6. Campers are expected to dress appropriately for activities. The responsibility for the dress and appearance of the participant will rest with the parent or guardian. No flip-flops please, unless it is a swim day (bring a change of clothes and athletic shoes to change into).
7. Wear Summer Camp t-shirts on all field trips.
8. Use good manners and keep your activity site clean.
9. Keep the Leisure Centers neat and clean. Use the trash cans!
10. Office telephones at each Center are there for the use of facility staff. Campers may use the telephone in emergency situations only.
11. Campers may not have peer visitors at the Center during camp hours or during field trips.
12. Tobacco, alcohol and drugs are not permitted.
13. Campers are not permitted to bring valuables to Center.
14. Use seat belts in vehicles at all times.
15. Follow all rules regarding vehicle safety.
Medication/Illness
Medication and special medical procedures will only be administered when a parent/guardian fills out a Medication Form. Requests must be dated and contain parents’ signature. All medications must be in original containers with intact prescription labels. The label must have the child’s name, doctor’s name and dispensing instructions or they will not be administered by our staff. For non-prescription medicines (Tylenol), please supply in original container along with written instructions and parents’ signature.
Your child (ren) cannot attend when he or she:
· Has a fever of 100 degrees or higher.
· Has an active cold with fever.
· Has eye problems such as conjunctivitis, pinkeye, cold in the eye, mucus or swelling. If child (ren) has pinkeye, they must be on medication for 24 hours before returning.
· Is nauseated or vomiting.
· Has chicken pox, mumps, measles or strep throat.
· Has head lice or nits. Your child (ren) cannot return to camp until they have been properly treated with a pediculicide and are free from any evidence of the disease. Before reentry into the program, you must present receipt or box top from the pediculicide that you used to treat your child (ren) with to the Director or Assistant Director and have them check your child (ren) for any residue. Please contact us if your child (ren) is sent home from school with head lice so that we can check our program.
In the unlikely event of accidental injury, we will make an immediate attempt to contact a parent. If we cannot reach you, we will call the child’s physician. The Director or Assistant Director will take control of the situation and take immediate steps if professional emergency medical attention is needed. It is imperative that you keep us updated with the correct contact information for use in an emergency. As in all decisions, we will only do what is the very best for the child. If an injury occurs that requires medical attention, the parent/guardian must file the claim with their insurance company first. Our insurance is secondary and will cover the remainder of the balance minus a $50 deductible.
Discipline Policy
Your child will be under the supervision of a caregiver at all times. This supervision is always administered with a constant effort to build self-esteem and a tangible reward for good behavior and citizenship. We feel most improper behavior can be eliminated through this program of positive reinforcement.
Our six step policy to discipline:
1. Verbal Warning.
2. Time-Out (maximum ten minutes per infraction).
3. Extended Time-Out (written assignment).
4. Parent Notification with possible revocation of field trip privilege(s), or immediate parent pick up.
5. Suspension.
6. Expulsion.
If the action is severe enough, any or all of these steps can be eliminated upon the approval of the Director or Assistant Director. Such actions include:
1. Possession of any object intended to be used as a weapon.
2. Blackmail, threats or intimidation against staff or other campers.
3. Obscene language, profanity or gestures.
4. Behavior or violent action toward another camper or employee that is detrimental or disrupts the safe and orderly environment.
5. Theft, possession of stolen goods or vandalism against property.
6. Fighting, reciprocal exchange of blows or provoking a fight.
7. Actions that incited misbehavior - talking back, not following directions, etc...
8. Leaving program grounds or activity site without permission.
9. Failure to obey safety procedures.
10. Reckless play or behavior that results in bodily harm or emotional damage to an individual.
11. Caressing, fondling or petting of another.
12. Putting arms, head or feet out the bus window or door.
13. Campers not being properly seated or not staying in a seat while the van is in motion. Refusal to wear a seat/safety belt.
14. Any behavior that may be disruptive to the driver or threaten the safety of the passengers.
15. Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, weapons or assault.
16. Prank phone calls or 911 calls.
If a camper is expelled, he/she can no longer participate in any Lexington County Recreation and Aging Commission sponsored activities or events.
If there are issues going on in your child (ren)’s personal lives that may alter their behavior (divorce, separation, death, abuse, etc.), please inform the program Director or Assistant Director so that they can effectively deal with the situation. If there is a system of discipline that currently works well, we can incorporate it into our discipline policy for the benefit of the camper.
Cell Phones, Electronic Devices & Social Networking
Campers are not permitted to bring cell phones or electronic devices to camp. We encourage parents to follow LCRAC on Facebook & Twitter; however, campers are not allowed to contact LCRAC Staff by phone, text, e-mail, video game consoles, or on social networking sites. All requests made by campers to LCRAC Staff will be denied. LCRAC Directors will notify parents immediately if this occurs.
Facebook.com/LCRAC - Twitter.com/LCRAC
Attendance
During the Summer Program, attendance is taken as the campers arrive. Please make sure that you walk your child (ren) into the Center and that they are checked in properly. When picking up your child (ren), please make sure they are checked out by a responsible party. If your child is not going to be attending a particular day a phone call will help in counselor assignments and field trip arrangements. If you find that your child (ren) will be unable to attend during a week that you have registered for, you must notify the Director or Assistant Director in writing five business days in advance. Failure to do so will result in the regular weekly charge for your child (ren). The Centers request a two week written notice if you decide to remove your child (ren) from the program.
During the After School Program, attendance is taken as the students are picked up from the school and again as they enter the Center. It is imperative to call the Director or Assistant Director before 1:30 p.m. if your child (ren) is not going to be in attendance to avoid being charged for that day. By doing this it will alleviate the buses from having to wait at the schools until we can find out if your child (ren) is supposed to be attending.
During the After School Program Special Day Camps, attendance is taken as the children arrive. You must pre-register in order for your child to attend. If you register for a day and your child does not attend, you will be charged for the day (unless the camp is canceled). If a predetermined number of children are not signed up 5 business days prior to the actual camp, the special day camp may be canceled. You will be notified at least 5 business days in advance if a Special Day Camp has been canceled so that you will have time to make other arrangements for your child (ren). If another Leisure Center is offering a camp on a day when the Leisure Center you normally attend is not, we may be able to allow your child (ren) to attend that camp (please ask your Director for more information).